The Volkswagen Karmann Ghia was launched in 1955 on a VW Beetle chassis, with styling by Italy’s Carrozzeria Ghia and hand-built bodywork by German coachbuilding house Karmann. To quote his son, the design “was a direct, intentional swipe off [Virgil Exner’s] Chrysler d’Elegance. Nobody minded it. It was wonderful.”

This Karmann Ghia was a rust-free example imported from California, converted to right-hand drive and painted in its original Signal Orange.

What this customer wanted

This is one of our cars.  Steve saw it and fell in love with it as a replacement for his famous anthracite grey electric VW Beetle.  The idea is that it should be a simple electric conversion, demonstrating the type of low-cost installation that will fit into a Beetle, MGB, any number of Triumphs, and so on.

The car is driven by a Netgain Hyper9HV air-cooled electric motor running at 144V.  The total battery storage is 36kWh, which gives it a cruising range of about 140 miles between charges.  It has a 15kW multi-phase AC charge system which recharges the car in 2.4 hours on a 22kW charger or above.

Electric conversion options

The transmission is the same as a Beetle, so our standard Retro EV conversions are suitable for any Beetle and Karmann Ghia.

Low Voltage with manual gearbox

Hyper9 motor bolted directly onto the original gearbox and driving the rear wheels using a clutch and all the gears.  This comes in two versions: 26kWh at 110V, or 36kWh at 144V.  In a Karmann Ghia you can expect about 4 miles/kWh.

High voltage with fixed reduction drive

TorqX-300i 350V electric motor with 9:1 fixed final drive and CCS rapid charging.  21 or 42kWh battery options, giving about 75 or 150 miles range on a single charge, and no gear changes required.  Recharge times are overnight at home or under one hour on a CCS-charger.

Petrol EngineElectric Motor
Power:33kW @ 4,000rpm80kW @ 4,000rpm
Torque:92Nm @ 2,800rpm235Nm @ 0rpm
0-60:25 seconds8 seconds
Top Speed:82mph90mph
Fuel:PetrolElectricity
Cost Per Mile:27p3.6p
CO2 Per Mile:0.5kg0kg
Electric Karmann Ghia motor comparison to petrol engine

Create the EV of YOUR dreams

Electrogenic conversion kits are designed to be fitted by a trained specialist with as little fuss as possible.  We supply them to partner businesses around the world and our network is growing fast. A limited number of kits will be installed at our workshop in Kidlington. If you are interested in having one of our kits fitted to your vehicle or if you are interested in fitting them, please contact us.

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